The odds of a Grand Slam already were long simply because no one had ever swept the four professional majors in one year. If that’s the best measure, this sobering piece of history might make Spieth feel even worse.

Four players have a chance to replace Woods atop the world ranking — Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar — at The Players Championship. Watson, in his first tournament since winning the Masters, was the only one to break 70 on a day built for low scoring.